Former Anambra State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has accused officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of preventing him from greeting Nigeria’s victorious Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, following their return from the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Obi made the allegation on Monday, November 9, 2026, in a statement titled “A New Dimension of Toxic Politics in Nigeria”, in which he criticised what he described as the growing influence of political divisions in the country.
According to the former governor, he arrived at the airport in Abuja at about 7 a.m. to board a flight to Enugu when he saw the Flamingos preparing to leave after their return to Nigeria.
He said he asked his Protocol Officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could approach the players to congratulate and welcome them, but was informed that NFF officials had rejected the request.
Obi alleged that he was told the officials feared losing their jobs if they allowed him to interact with the team.
He said the incident reminded him of a similar experience on March 25, 2025, when he attended a World Cup qualifying match in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Obi explained that although he was warmly received by the state governor at the VIP stand, he was allegedly prevented from greeting the players after the match, while other government officials were allowed to do so.
The NDC presidential candidate described the two incidents as evidence of what he considers an increasingly hostile political environment in Nigeria.
“It is deeply troubling to witness the extent of toxic politics into which our nation has descended since 2025. Each year appears to bring further deterioration,” he said.
He called for an end to hostility, intimidation and discrimination based on political affiliation, insisting that national unity and mutual respect should take precedence over political differences.
The incident comes as the Flamingos return home following a historic campaign at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Nigeria defeated Japan 2–1 in Saturday’s final to win the competition for the first time, becoming the first African country to lift the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup trophy.
The victory marked a major milestone for Nigerian women’s football and attracted widespread celebrations among football fans.
As of the time of filing this report, the NFF had not publicly responded to Obi’s allegation.
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